Failed Back Surgery Syndrome

Acupuncture for Failed Back Surgery Syndrome

Still having painful sensation on back, hips and legs after back surgery is the main problem of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS). Following Chinese medicine, depending on their conditions and location of pain, there is Kidney deficiency, stagnation of qi and blood on DU and UB meridians. The treatment should be tonify kidney, and movement of qi and invigorating blood. Clinic observations show the best acupuncture prescription for pain of FBSS is selection of points on the back, especial local area of pain around, above or below the scar framed by spine surgeon.

In this example, the patient is a 69 year-old male who was diagnosed with FBSS. He had a history of lower back pain without pain on hip or legs for 4 months and did lower back surgery for 2 months. He still had lower back pain and burning pain radiation to right side of the hip, knee, lower leg and ankle after lower back surgery. His condition gets worse with walking, lifting his right leg or movement of his lower body. Examination showed tenderness and painful sensation with a slight touch or pressure as detailed below. There were painful sensations in his lower back at the L3 to S3, with a slight touch, which he placed at 2 to 4/10 at left side and 3 to 5/10 at right side. There were painful sensations in his right hip and thigh with a slight touch, he described his level of pain with 2 to 5/10. There were painful sensations in his calf, back of lower leg and inside of ankle with a slight touch, and he described his level of pain with 2 to 4 /10. There is a muscle hardness sensation about 1x2cm with touch around the corner of lower right side of scar on the lower back about level of S2, 3. He has burning painful sensation radiation to right hip, leg and ankle with fingers pressure scar on around the corner of right side lower back. After acupuncture treatments following the above acupuncture prescription, the pain was improved on his lower back, right hip, leg and ankle, and the muscle hardness sensation around scar also improved. See the pictures of below.